How Do I Know If My MacBook Battery Needs to Be Replaced?

Have you been needing to charge your MacBook more often than before? Are you in constant need of a MacBook charger lately? You might not have noticed it at first but your battery might be draining faster than it used to. Now, not all batteries are the same. Every MacBook can handle a certain number of charge cycles before you notice a downgrade in its performance.

However, you can’t exactly count every time you charge your MacBook. Good thing that there are ways for you to find out if it’s time to change your MacBook battery. How do you know if your MacBook battery needs to be replaced? These are some of the signs to take note of that should tell you when it’s time.

Your MacBook shows the Battery Service Warning.

The easiest way to know if your MacBook battery is shot is if your laptop shows you the Battery Service Warning. You can also check the state of your battery yourself. Simply click on the battery level located at the top menu bar of your screen. After you click it, you will be shown a drop-down menu.

At the top of the list, you can see the summarized current condition of your battery. If it indicates “Service Battery,” “Replace Soon,” or “Replace Now,” it’s high time that you consider replacing your MacBook battery. Do it while your MacBook is still asking you nicely. If you wait much longer, your MacBook might experience other issues caused by a defective battery. It can also drastically affect the performance of your MacBook.

If you want to learn more about the health of your MacBook battery, you can do so by checking your MacBook’s System Information menu. It provides you more details about your battery such as how many charge cycles it has been through. You can compare this number to the maximum cycle count of your MacBook model so you have an idea if that’s what drained your battery. If it’s close to the limit, replacing your MacBook battery is the best way to go.

Your MacBook battery gets drained fast.

Another indication that your MacBook battery is due for a replacement is if you notice it draining fast. Your MacBook should be able to last for a few hours unplugged with a full charge. If you find yourself reaching for a charger every so often because your MacBook is low in charge again, think about having your battery checked. Not being able to hold a charge is a good indication that your battery might need to be replaced.

However, you should also note that how quick your MacBook battery drains also depends on some factors. This includes what you’re using your MacBook for. If you’re running tons of apps that require heavy performances, then it’s only natural for its battery to drain faster than normal. On the contrary, if you’re only using it for daily simple tasks, it should be able to run unplugged for a few hours. If it doesn’t, that’s when you consider it a battery problem.

Your MacBook has been suddenly shutting down more often.

If you don’t notice these two indications and went on using your MacBook as normal, there might be other repercussions. One of them is your MacBook suddenly shutting down. You’re currently going on about your daily tasks on your MacBook and it suddenly turns off even if you just charged it some time ago. Your battery might have run out of juice fast due to it being past its expected shelf life. If this happens often, you’ll essentially be left with no choice but to replace your MacBook battery. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use your MacBook properly.

In addition, letting this occur multiple times might as well negatively affect your MacBook as a whole. Still, check your MacBook first before having your battery replaced. This is because there are also other factors that might have caused it to suddenly shut down. An example would be an app causing conflicts in your software. The best thing to do is to check your software and have a professional check your hardware.

You can feel your MacBook overheating.

One reason why your MacBook would suddenly shut down is due to overheating. Now, overheating can be caused by a number of factors. It can be either a software issue or a hardware problem. However, if you’re only using your MacBook for regular tasks, it shouldn’t overheat that much. If it does, consider checking your MacBook battery – that might be the problem after all.

If you see any of these signs, don’t ignore it and have your MacBook checked right away. A defective battery can negatively affect your MacBook in more ways than one. Always make sure to keep its state at its best as much as possible. Plus, having a good working MacBook battery ensures that you get to maximize the performance of your laptop. And that is all that really matters when it comes to your MacBook. So if needed, have your MacBook battery replaced and you can get on with your daily tasks on your laptop.